MEO Business Development Center (MEO BDC)

05/29/2026

There's still time to register for the Teen Financial Literacy Workshop✨

Registration Link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/849e52dec60449fead27bb24a04b93fe

05/20/2026

SIGN UP for Financial Literacy For Teens two-day summer workshop. Monday, June 1 and Wednesday, June 3 at 9 to 11:30 a.m. at MEO’s Wailuku office.

Registration Link: https://app.smartsheet.com/.../849e52dec60449fead27bb24a0... or go to www.meoinc.org (“Programs & Services,” “Business Development Center,” and “TEEN Financial Literacy Online Workshop Registration”).

Budgeting and saving, basic banking, applying for jobs, dos and don’ts of credit and other money topics will be covered in the workshop offered annually by MEO’s Business Development Center. The goal of the workshop is to give teens the skills to make wise and informed decisions about their finances.
The in-person workshop is without cost to attendees, but there are limited seats.

For more information, contact Lianne at (808) 243-4347.

05/15/2026

Financial Literacy For Teens two-day summer workshop, put on by Maui Economic Opportunity, will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Monday, June 1, and Wednesday, June 3, at MEO’s Wailuku office.

Budgeting and saving, basic banking, applying for jobs, dos and don’ts of credit and other money topics will be covered in the workshop offered annually by MEO’s Business Development Center. The goal of the workshop is to give teens the skills to make wise and informed decisions about their finances.

The in-person workshop is without cost to attendees, but there are limited seats.

Register at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/849e52dec60449fead27bb24a04b93fe or go to www.meoinc.org (“Programs & Services,” “Business Development Center,” and “TEEN Financial Literacy Online Workshop Registration”).

For more information, contact Lianne Peros-Busch at (808) 243-4347.

03/24/2026

The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity has announced the establishment of the Emergency Farmer Relief Program. Farmers and ranchers impacted by the recent storm systems may apply for a one-time grant of $1,500 to address immediate needs resulting from the storms.

March 23, 2026 HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) announces the establishment of the Emergency Farmer Relief Program for farmers and ranchers statewide who were impacted by the recent storm systems – Kona Low 1 and Kona Low 2. Farms, ranches and businesses ma...

01/31/2026

MEO is accepting applications for our Agricultural Micro Grant Program from now through February 15, 2026.

01/16/2026

Applications for the popular Agricultural Micro Grant Program 6.0 – which offers up to $25,000 to Maui County small farmers and ranchers – are being accepted beginning today, Jan. 15, 2026, by Maui Economic Opportunity.

The application period runs through Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.

The $3 million Maui County-funded program is open to select startup and currently operating farms on less than 12 acres and livestock ranches up to 40 acres possessing a county business or state General Excise Tax License as of July 1, 2025.

Preference will be given to women and Native Hawaiians. A limited number of grants will be allocated to lei-making flower farms. Agricultural operations on Moloka`i and Lana`i also are encouraged to apply.

The grants may be used to directly impact the availability of locally-grown produce, livestock and poultry and other related products. Grant money can be used for:
- Farming equipment and machinery.
- Processing and storage equipment.
- Farm infrastructure, expansion and upgrades.
- Inventory and supplies.
- Packaging and packaging materials.
- Technology equipment.

The following documentation is required:
- Completed application.
- Farm needs statement.
- Copy of original General Excise Tax License or filed form G-45 or G-49.
- Photo ID.
- 2024 State Tax Return Form N-11 (proof of residency).

Farmers may apply on the MEO website at https://www.meoinc.org/agricultural-micro-grant-program/ or in-person at MEO’s Wailuku office, 99 Mahalani St., weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the MEO Business Development Center, which is administering the grant, by phone at (808) 249-2990 or by email at [email protected].

This is the 6th round of micro-agricultural grants offered through the county to boost small farms countywide.

Caption: Maui Vanilla Farm received a Agricultural Micro Grant to support the farm’s operations. Applications for the next round of micro grants will be accepted beginning Jan. 15, 2026.

12/24/2025

Two in-person workshops to provide information on the upcoming Agricultural Micro Grant Program 6.0, which offers up to $25,000 to small farms and ranches in Maui County, will be held in early January 2026.

The grants are administered by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center and funded by the County of Maui.

The first session is set for Monday, Jan. 5, at the MEO Family Center in Wailuku and the second on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani. Both sessions begin at 5 p.m.

The Jan. 5 workshop will be streamed live via Webex for viewing on Moloka`i and Lana`i.

Grant application and award information will be presented to help applicants understand the process and note the required documents that need to be submitted.

The grants have the following stipulations and requirements:

● Grants will be dispersed with efforts to ensure equitable distribution among applicants on Maui, Moloka`i, and Lana`i.

● Grant preference is given to socially disadvantaged farming applicants, such as women and Native Hawaiians, and to farmers who did not receive funding in prior fiscal years from the micro-grant program.

● Except for up to $250,000 for flowers and plants used to make lei, the micro grants will be exclusively to food-producing farm businesses that operate on less than an aggregate of 12 acres or up to an aggregate of 40 usable acres for livestock producers within Maui County.

● Applicants must possess a county business or state general excise license for the farming or ranching business as of July 1, 2025.

● Low revenue from sales will not disqualify applicants.

● Farm business owners and any partners must be Maui County residents for a minimum of one year before the date of the applicant's grant request.

Further details and information will be provided at the informational sessions.

The grant application period for the $3 million Agricultural Micro Grant Program 6.0 opens Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, with applications becoming available.

Farmers and ranchers may apply on the MEO website at https://www.meoinc.org/agricultural-micro-grant-program/ or in-person at MEO’s Wailuku office, 99 Mahalani St., weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the MEO Business Development Center by phone at (808) 249-2990 or by email at [email protected].

Caption:
Lapaau Farms in Wailuku was one of the small farms receiving a 2025 Agricultural Micro Grant, through a program funded by Maui County and administered by MEO. In-person informational sessions for the 2026 grant are set for early January 2026.

10/01/2025

📝💵FALL BREAK TEEN FINANCIAL LITERACY WORKSHOP! 💰📚
Sign up your teen for a FREE two-day workshop during Fall Break, where they will learn essential money skills like budgeting, saving, and credit! 🙌✨
📅 Dates: Monday and Tuesday October 6th and 7th
🕒 Time: 9:00 – 11:30 AM
📍 Location: MEO Classroom #1
99 Mahalani St.
Wailuku, HI 96793
This workshop, hosted by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, is a great opportunity for middle and high school students to get ahead in managing their finances! 💼👩‍🏫

09/20/2025

📝💵 Teen Financial Literacy Workshop! 💰📚

Sign up your teen for a FREE two-day workshop during Fall Break, where they will learn essential money skills like budgeting, saving, and credit! 🙌✨

📅 Dates: Monday and Tuesday October 6th and 7th
🕒 Time: 9:00 – 11:30 AM
📍 Location: MEO Classroom #1
99 Mahalani St.
Wailuku, HI 96793

This workshop, hosted by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, is a great opportunity for middle and high school students to get ahead in managing their finances! 💼👩‍🏫

07/18/2025

Irish Mahoney’s Umani Farms Maui business plan was judged the top entry and winner of a $15,000 grant in the fourth Best Business Plan contest, staged by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center (BDC).

The contest, which announced six winners earlier this week, was funded by a $60,000 grant from the Maui County Office of Economic Development to provide financial support for start-up businesses countywide. Entrants had to complete a five-week BDC Core Four Business Planning Course during the fiscal year, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

A total of 12 plans were submitted for a juried review by an outside panel of three community development partners. The top six plans received grants with amounts based on ranking. Five of the winners came from Maui and one from Lana`i.

The top prize went to Umani Farms, a start-up micro-greens farm in Makawao. Mahoney has been involved in farming since an early age and saw an opportunity to turn her passion into a business that provides for the Maui community.

Her business plan calls for growing and supplying fresh organic micro-greens to local restaurants, grocery stores and health conscious consumers while employing sustainable agricultural practices. The plants selected are nutrient dense and popular in the culinary world for vibrant flavors, aesthetics and health benefits.

“Umani” means “to harvest” in the Filipino Tagalog dialect, which Mahoney said connects the farm to the agricultural heritage and the land that defines her mission.

“At Umani Farms Maui, we believe that harvesting is not merely the act of gathering crops; it symbolizes the culmination of hard work, dedication and respect for nature,” Mahoney said. “Our farm celebrates this philosophy, where every seed sown represents a commitment to sustainability, quality and community.”

The other winners and their grant amounts follow:

- Wealth Worthy Wahine, financial resource and training platform for women offering online and in-person workshops; $12,500.

- HI Caliber Concrete, service company specializing in concrete and asphalt cutting, concrete coring and other masonry services for residential and commercial customers; $10,500.

- I Love Lanai Tacos, a food trailer on Lana`i specializing in authentic Mexican dishes; $9,000.

- Thriftly, online secondhand apparel marketplace; $7,500.

- Maui Harvest Delights, mobile fruit and farm stand in Ke`anae with soft serve farm-to-table frozen treats and locally grown produce; $5,000.

Judging for the contest was based on business plan narrative and summary, marketing plan, operational plan, cash flow projections and economic diversity impact to Maui’s economy.

“Many entrepreneurs are hampered by the inability to garner funding to get their start-ups off the ground,” said BDC Director David Daly. “We thank the County of Maui for providing a boost to small business start-ups, who are prepared for success through our Core Four business planning series, and expanding the economic base of the county, which is dominated by small businesses.”

The Core Four business planning class series covers writing a business plan and provides the information needed to start, operate and grow a business. It is geared for those thinking of starting a business or who are just starting and need direction. It is offered multiple times during the year on Maui and Moloka‘i.

The course costs $75. Financial assistance is available upon request. For more information about Core Four, call (808) 249-2990 or go to www.meoinc.org.

Caption: Irish Mahoney